Love Sin
by Morphiosis
Summary: As the Academy's Spring Festival approaches, Jin finds himself becoming more aware of Tsubaki's feminine side, but struggles between his love towards her and fulfilling their childhood promise. Jin/ Tsubaki. Ch3: "Fairy Tale" is up!
1. Chapter 1: Wake Up Call

**Author Note:**

Hey everyone, and first off, thank you already for even clicking on this. Of course, I hope you find the idea interesting enough to read :) With this being my first fic, I really hope that I can receive a lot of feedback, whether constructive criticism or just about anything else, basically! I would die for a handful of reviews, so please, if this story irks you or intrigues you, or heck, makes you think of any suggestions for future chapter topics, please tell me. Also, apologies in advance for any OOCness, wrong facts, or mechanical errors.

Now, about the story. Obviously, this will be a mulit-chapter Jin/ Tsubaki fic set back in the Academy days, although I haven't yet decided whether or not to set this in an alternate timeline. (As for now, please regard it as if it is set in the current timeline.) Although the first chapter may sound rather bleak, for which I blame Jin's perspective haha, I hope to incorporate some humor into this story as well, rather than just the raw romance. For the multi-chapter bit, I hope to have a total of around 10 chapters to wrap up the story.

An extended version of the summary/ synopsis here:

After being exposed to an ominous dream, Jin begins to question the nature of his relationship with Tsubaki, and what he truly feels for her. Confused and frustrated, he convinces himself that he has no romantic interest in her whatsoever, especially when he remembers the childhood oath that he is bound by. As their days in the Academy together proceed, however, both Jin and Tsubaki find it harder and harder to deny or prolong their true emotions any longer, especially as situations shift for the worse.

Once again, thanks for reading, and I really hope it will be enjoyed!

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1: Wake-Up Call <strong>_

_It was night, and a comforting breeze wafted in through the open windows to greet the crowd gathered in the grandiose hall. Overhead, the dimmed lights flickered gently, and the crowd moved loosely in relaxation in sync with the serene music of the live orchestra. Pairs of men and women wove along, all wearing the finest of clothes, some dancing along the marble floor. Others dawdled in the corners, watching as they chatted idly with friends and acquaintances. Some instead chose to sample treats off the circular tables overflowing with decoration and platters of the richest cuisine. But one man alone stood in the center, surrounded by the tides of beaming guests in black and white._

_ Jin Kisaragi, dressed in a black tuxedo, fingered the white rose in his coat pocket in silent speculation. He watched the guests with scrutinizing eyes, only stopping when yet another overly-enthusiastic pair of them proceeded to throttle his hand and wildly congratulate him. For what, Jin did not know, and he did not particularly care. Nor did he show it. He instead continued to glance around, and for a moment he swore he saw a familiar face or two in the dispersed crowd. But the moment was gone, and Jin frowned, all alone once more. Around him, the couples danced and cheered and scurried across the hall in harmony. Jin felt oddly uneasy, as if he was missing something that he desperately needed. _

_ "Looking for somebody?"_

_ Upon hearing the familiar voice, Jin turned, his heart leaping at the sight of the speaker. Behind him stood Tsubaki, her blue eyes dancing with mischievous joy and her lips curving in a gentle smile. Jin couldn't help but stare. Over her stunning scarlet hair was the lightest translucent veil, and her arms she carried a bundle of roses. Tsubaki wore white, completely white, the perfect pure hue of white that dangled from her long gloves and heels to where her long elegant wedding dress hung from her shoulders in glorious beauty. _

_ Jin's breath caught in his throat and he felt the overwhelming sensation of realization catch him fully. The guests' profuse congratulations came back to him now, making utmost and almost blissful sense. He moved forward, albeit shakily, finally understanding what- or rather, who- he had been so luckily gifted with. "Ts-Tsubaki..." _

_ He reached out to take her hand in his, to sweep her fully into his arms, but found that his hand had stopped on its own. Jin looked up, bewildered, and found himself staring as Tsubaki drew someone from behind her. It was a man with an obscured face, one whose qualities Jin could not scrutinize even if he squinted, except for his full, almost eerie, smile. _

_ "Jin," came Tsubaki's voice, and he found with horror that it was in the muffled tone of a kiss. She gasped lightly, held in the embrace of the faceless man, as she gently pulled away from his face with a nervous giggle. Jin's insides heaved; this couldn't be happening. But it was. _

_ "Jin," Tsubaki tried again, her voice still shaky from the kiss, "I'd like you to meet my husband." She turned to the man, pressing her hands against his face. "My love, this is Jin Kisaragi, the big brother I've been telling you all about."_

_ "Nice to meet you," said the man, but all Jin heard were Tsubaki's words, echoing and echoing in his head with merciless force. Husband...Jin...Big brother..._

_ Jin felt the icy pull of numbness, and for a moment he considered fighting the temptation to run, feigning glad acceptance and congratulations just for her sake. But he found that not even one word of small talk could escape his tightly sealed lips, that the ability for small talk, which he had once mastered, had vanished and abandoned him entirely. Before they could react, Jin spun away, sprinting as fast as he could to somehow free himself from the joyous, yet ugly, scene he had just witnessed. He didn't care that he ran into other surprised-looking guests, or that he nearly knocked over a large cask of wine. Jin thought he heard the muted cries of Tsubaki from behind him, but he charged on, fleeing for the door._

_ He just wanted to- just _had_ to_- _get away from them, away from their happy flock of guests, away from the celebration, away from their newly united lives, and, most of all, away from that look of pure love, such sick sweet love, on Tsubaki's angelic face..._

White, the color of Tsubaki's dress, enveloped Jin and he fought the urge to gasp as he jolted up in bed. Pressing his hand against his clammy forehead, he gingerly untangled himself from the bedsheets in contemplative silence. The world around him was a blur, and Jin hastily snatched up his glasses and rammed them onto his face. "6:00 AM " flashed up at him from where the digital clock sat on his bedside drawer. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jin slid himself out of the plush bed, taking extra care not to wake his roommates as he got up and wearily dressed himself in the blue and white Academy blazer.

Once upon a time, Jin had believed that fear was a physical thing, scarred into the minds of its victims through brute force and threats, but now he was no longer certain. Although he was quite used to horrifying nightmares that mercilessly attacked him in his sleep, this one was unusually disturbing- and in a new sense. Before, Jin's nightmares had been centered on rather simple things, such as the moon and his life back with Brother and the witch of a little girl who he had called his little sister. They had been objects, events that Jin feared and thought about, and not without reason either (although some fools had tried to argue against him about the moon). But this? This was a strange first.

Tsubaki...Of all the females in his life, Jin had to admit that Tsubaki held a special place in his heart. Where there once should have been affection for Saya, perhaps, was now a space occupied by her instead. But even so, Jin felt that Tsubaki was someone beyond a normal sister to him. This feeling could be wrong, however, since his and his blood-sister's relationship had never been a close one, and thus Jin really had no way of knowing what a "normal" sort of big-brother-little-sister bond was supposed to even feel like.

There were reasons behind his prizing of Tsubaki over others, of course, but Jin had never really thought about them. Instead, their bond just fell in place over the years. But now that he pondered back upon it, Tsubaki definitely had specific points that made her unique. She displayed her emotions truthfully and without shame, and in a world cluttered with lies that was infinitely rare and desirable. On top of that, Tsubaki seemed to truly care for his well-being, unlike all other girls he had met at the Academy, with most of them too busy squealing and giggling while he walked by to notice his distaste.

It was partially for her that he set out to erase, to _forget_, even, his past with Brother and to create a better, kinder Jin Kisaragi. Now that he thought about it, why had he even done such a thing? It was true that they were friends, something that very few had the privilege of becoming, but that was all that Tsubaki was...right? Maybe a little sister in some parts, but certainly nothing more.

Or was Tsubaki something else to him?

The thought was disturbing, and for a moment Jin was furious at himself, but he argued back that he had to acknowledge it at the very least. After all, in his dream- and he, of all people, knew that it was stupid to believe in dreams, but he couldn't resist- Tsubaki had called him a brother. Now that he thought about it, why had he been so set off, so bothered by it? It wasn't as if it was something that Tsubaki wouldn't normally say. Besides, Jin himself had always encouraged others to view their relationship as such, and perhaps had even naturally believed in it himself. There was nothing wrong with Tsubaki calling him a brother, was there?

Remembering the situation, Jin felt anxiety gnaw away at his stomach. It was the situation, he realized. Even though he knew it hadn't been real, Jin still felt amazingly bitter at the dream, at what had happened in the hall. It must have been Tsubaki's wedding, with a man whose face he never came to fully see. And it was under those circumstances that she had called him brother, to a man that was now her husband.

Husband. That word triggered a terrible emotion that Jin had not felt for over six years, since he had joined the Kisaragi family. The sensation brought him back to Brother and Saya, memories that he wished to bury away forever and yet still remember.

Jin was jealous, jealous towards a figment in a dream created by his own deluded unconscious mind.

Knowing that didn't make him feel any better. So he held bitter and raw hatred towards the man by Tsubaki's side, her husband. The realization was stunning, and Jin denied it instantly. He couldn't be jealous! The last time he had been so jealous had been because of _her_, when she constantly took Brother away from him through her fake sick act. But that had been Brother he had felt for, Brother who he had adored...

This was different, however. This was Tsubaki, the girl who he had befriended as a growing child. Why was he so angry at seeing the man by her side? Maybe he had thought that a man without a visible face hardly deserved her. Perhaps, it was that he would no longer be able to spend as much time with her. Or, had it been that _he _had wanted to be there, the man by Tsubaki's side, and that man had stolen it all from him?

Jin froze as the thought struck him. Him, wanting to be Tsubaki's _husband_? It sounded like something out of the ridiculous fairy tales Brother had read to _her_ all those days ago, something so unimaginable that it couldn't possibly be real. But there it was again, and for a second Jin could imagine himself being that man, could almost see _him_ being the one that held Tsubaki in his arms and kissed her...

_What_ was he thinking? Had he gone insane? Jin wanted to slug himself. Tsubaki was nothing more than a childhood friend! Their relationship was merely like that of two unrelated siblings! Besides, there was no way that Tsubaki, dignified, respected, noble-born Tsubaki had ever- _would _ever- set eyes on him in such a manner. And it wasn't as if she didn't have plenty of potential suitors already. The dream, the events...They were bound to become reality someday. Out of the corner of his mind Jin could see a generic man, holding Tsubaki's arm as she smiled and strode slowly up a majestic hall, and it _hurt_.

Jin shoved his glasses back up his face, his cheeks heating up uncontrollably and rather uncharacteristically. It was as though two sides of him, each battling fiercely to gain control of his emotions and argue their perspective, now possessed him. The side of him arguing that he cared was now in the lead. Tsubaki, it argued, was a lady, a woman. Perhaps it was time Jin acknowledged it, treated her like a lady instead of a sister. Now that he thought about it, Tsubaki was gorgeous among even the girls he had seen. Before, however, he had never noticed her beauty, had never opened his eyes fully...

The whole idea was stupid. The normal Jin snapped back into control and pressed his palm forcefully against his forehead. It had been a dream. That was all. As for Tsubaki, even if he wanted to- he decided to put off that idea entirely- he would never, ever be with her as a lover anyway. There was something binding him, something that Jin had never expected to lash back at him in such a cruel manner.

It had been meant as a joke, certainly, but now it restrained him entirely. The promise he had made with Tsubaki on the first day they had met, the promise that he would be her "brother" forever... It was so perfectly stupid and childish, and yet Jin felt some sort of odd loyalty to it. Neither of them had truly meant it that day, but nevertheless it was a vow, wasn't it?

Brother...Jin would never have believed that he would despise that word any more than when he had left Ragna. But now, for reasons hardly comprehensible to him, he did.

He had to snap out of it, somehow. Jin rose silently from where he had sat atop his bed and paced the room anxiously. Six-thirty now. He supposed he could go to the student council room if he liked, but that would only remind him more of Tsubaki, perhaps even meet her there. And that was one risk Jin would not take, not now.

"What are you doing?"

One of Jin's two roommates had awoken, and Jin looked up, mildly surprised. Although he hardly cared for his roommates, he had made the effort to be somewhat polite to them. After all, they shared a room until they all got out of the place, and as the student council president Jin had to at least act up to the standards of his position. Putting on a facade of mundane sleepiness, Jin yawned, erasing all the previous frustration from his face.

"I just got up," he said calmly. "There's nothing to do, really."

His roommate yawned as well, stretching and throwing his sheets in a clump near the edge of his bed. "Well, Mr. President, you could always head out for the student council room, right?" The teen grinned. "I'll betcha there'll be loads of cute girls waiting for you there, eh?"

Jin was not in the mood for talking about romance, especially not with his roommate. "Actually," he asserted him, trying his best to smoothly change the subject, "I was thinking of heading out and getting something to eat."

His roommate only chuckled. "Geez, Jin, don't play innocent with me. You know all those girls have the hots for you, right?" A wide, conspiratory smile burst across his face. "Oh, come on, why don't you just pick one already and get it over with? I mean, just about _all _the cute ladies are taken up with you. Leave some for the rest of us!"

Jin pretended to distractedly adjust his collar while looking in the mirror. Whatever he said, he knew, his roommate would probably be more encouraged than discouraged. Did all these noble-borns from big families have nothing to do other than poke noses into others' business all day?

"Since you're finding it so hard to choose, I'll advise you," continued his roommate, not giving Jin a choice at all. "Let's see...You know that chick Mitsuki? She's a cutie. Oh, and her friend Yuka too." The boy blabbered on, and Jin, sighing, droned him out, occasionally hearing a familiar name or two. "...Ruri...Sami...Asaka...Tsubaki..."

Jin froze, slowly swiveling his head. Did the gossip just say_ Tsubaki_?

More alert than Jin had expected, his chatty roommate did not miss his involuntary action. "Whoa there," he proclaimed gleefully, beaming from ear to ear. "Was that a reaction I saw there? Tsubaki Yayoi? Didn't know you're into red-heads, Jin. Though I have to admit, you-"

"It's not that," Jin cut in crisply, trying his best not to show his irritation. "We knew each other as children. She's more of a sister to me. I was just surprised you mentioned her. That's all." It felt as though Jin was trying to convince himself of the same thing, and to his own surprise he found that he begged himself to believe it.

"Oh." His roommate was silent now, partially disappointed, but also looking slightly hesitant due to Jin's darkened face. Not having the guts to press on, he flopped back upon his bed. "Well, whatever. I'm going back to sleep. Wake me later when class is about to start, 'kay?"

Jin sighed, but nodded. "I'll be back later." Somehow, he had to distract himself from all the disturbing thoughts he was having. He suppose he would follow the spontaneous excuse about going out for breakfast for real. It would help him, after all, get his day back on schedule. As soon as classes started and the mediocre familiarity of a boring school day commenced, he would be fine.

Or so Jin tried to convince himself.

It turned out that school business and classes did nothing to help sort out his feelings. If anything, it exacerbated his emotions by tenfold.

Breakfast had been a lure for him to lower his guard, in which Jin had believed everything to be normal. He had even spied Tsubaki's two friends, the squirrel beastkin and the girl who so closely resembled his despicable sister, blabbering away as they piled on food to bring back to their dorms. Jin honestly had never predicted that he would think such a thing, but luckily, Tsubaki had not been with them. He narrowly dodged a possible catastrophe over breakfast and then hurried back to his dorm, where he found, to his exasperation, that his chatty roommate was still snoring away, oblivious to the world.

The rest of the day, to Jin's frustration, did not go anywhere near as well as breakfast had. His first period, language class, started off with a lengthy analysis of a novel protagonist's romantic feelings for a noble lady. It did not help that this class was shared with his roommate, who sniggered at every mention of "denying his true feelings" and shot a smug, extremely obvious look at Jin. Although he sat on the other side of the classroom and despite his attempts to stay calm, Jin wanted nothing more than to unleash a torrent of Yukianesa's icy deadliness each time the blond glanced cheerfully over.

By the end of the fifty-minute period, Jin stormed off to his next class without a second glance at his roommate. Mathematics and biology- the lecture of the day's topic was the reproductive and endocrine systems, to Jin's horror- sped by and it was soon time for the student council preparation period, the one class that he, for once, dreaded most.

As the president, Jin generally had the power to dictate over the meetings and choose which project to work on. This certain day, however, he was given no such control and instead was informed by the activities coordinator that they would be planning for the upcoming Annual Academy Spring Festival. Mentally fuming, Jin managed to give him a hardly audible "thanks," before slumping down onto his seat in the center of the meeting table. Why was it that everything just happened to be going wrong on this certain day? It was so unpredictable, so nearly impossible probability-wise that it ought to not be happening at all! First the romance analysis, then the human hormones lecture, and now the inability to control his own plans for the student council? The way everything fell into place was almost comical, but there was nothing funny about it at all.

"Jin?"

The voice, despite its well-meaning warmth, send chills and immediate fear down Jin's spine. He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced sharply up, trying his best not to flinch away. Stay calm, he told himself. It was nothing, just a dream.

Tsubaki stood in front of him, crouching down besides him with a smile on her face. Oblivious to his discomfort, she inched closer until they were just an arm-length away from one another.

"Jin, are you feeling alright?" She looked worried now. "You look pale. Did you not get enough sleep?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, sounding unconvincing even to himself. "Don't worry about me so much, Tsubaki. Besides," Jin added, feigning sudden interest in the upcoming festival, "We're working on the plans for the spring festival today, right? You'd best get back to your seat. The meeting's beginning soon."

To his relief, Tsubaki gave him a reassuring smile and hurried back to her spot on the opposite side of the table. Jin then, as promised, commenced with the meeting, guiltily attempting to avoid eye contact with her at all costs. It was longer than most, with far too many disagreements on a theme and what booths to create. In the end, they decided on centering on cherry blossoms, only because, for whatever reason, there happened to be an abundance of them growing in the school greenhouse. The rest of the disputes on booths, Jin decided, could be dealt with the next day, and he adjourned the meeting for lunch as soon as the bell rang.

The rest of the day didn't get any better, and by the time Jin returned to his dorm room to rest his head was spinning with thoughts of all the references of romance he had somehow received that day. His distraction had even affected his ability to fight, it seemed, and had nearly suffered a loss at the hands of a novice, far weaker and less skilled than he. Even Yukianesa seemed put off and annoyed at his lack of concentration, being harder to control than ever.

It all had to stop, Jin realized warily. Maybe it wasn't everything else being warped and coincidentally changing, but _him_. He was being unreasonable and stupid. Why was he even being so affected by a mere dream? If he continued, there was bound to be nothing but disaster ahead. Somehow, somehow, he had to stop.

He didn't love Tsubaki, Jin decided coldly. They were friends, nothing more, perhaps even less. The only person he had ever cared for was Brother, and that had ended terribly. It was for the best, for both he and her, that they stayed away from one another in romantic aspects. Besides, they had the oath between them to guard them away from the temptation of each other.

He didn't want her whatsoever.

But even as he tried to convince himself that, Jin knew that it was just a lie, a lie devised by himself that would only chain him and entangle him further in this mess.

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><p><strong>Preview:<strong>

Next up, Chapter 2: "Truth or Dare," in which Tsubaki is forced to play a rather daunting game with her roommates, the easily-intimidated Noel and the devious Makoto, with the latter coincidentally mentioning a certain blond male in their game... _  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2: Truth or Dare

_**Chapter 2: Truth or Dare**_

How Tsubaki had gotten herself into this mess, she had no idea.

On second thought, she had the smallest of leads on who to blame. She shot a mild glare at the squirrel girl sprawled across the bed from her.

"Makoto, this is all your fault." Tsubaki sighed, shifting her sitting position atop her own bed. "I can't believe we're doing this."

"Oh, come on," answered Makoto cheerfully, her fluffy tail twitching in amusement. "Just do the dare, Tsubaki." When Tsubaki still did not budge an inch, she instead turned to Noel, who sat on her own bed with an expression of both anxiety and excitement. "Even Noel did hers! It wasn't so bad, right, Noel?"

Noel nodded obediently and Tsubaki groaned. Right, so that was how it had happened. Shortly after dinner, the three girls had returned to their dorms, all disappointed due to the library's earlier closure that night. Unable to find a good book to preoccupy themselves with, they had hung around the dorms, completing homework and projects and trying to somehow fill up their time. But it hadn't been that easy at all. They found out what they had thought impossible- that even _homework_ had a limit, and that they had finished all of it without even wasting an hour of time. It had been eight o' clock sharp back then and, still having an hour or more of time, Makoto had announced her devious plan.

It had sounded alright at first. Tsubaki, being from a noble and dignified family, had never played this odd game called "Truth or Dare" before, and had thought that it wouldn't hurt to try. Makoto had convinced both her and Noel that the game would be relatively painless and enjoyable, and on top of that would certainly kill time. Not suspecting a thing, the two had accepted.

Tsubaki regretted that decision now. They had been playing for twenty minutes straight, and already it was becoming obvious that this was no ordinary game. Having to accept either a ridiculous dare or being forced to honestly answer an embarrassing question was not Tsubaki's idea of fun. But apparently it was Makoto's, and since they had already promised her, they really had no choice.

"Well, Noel's dare was easy," protested Tsubaki, glancing sideways at where Noel sat, a blindfold on the bed besides her. "It's pretty hard to crash into walls when you've been living in this place for the last year or so."

"Stop stalling, Tsubaki." Makoto grinned broadly at her friend. "If you think this is bad, then I can't wait to see your expression later!"

Tsubaki sighed, yielding at long last. "Oh, fine, fine." Both she and Noel now knew that Makoto was a dangerous person to accept a dare from. Next time she would just try truth instead and save herself a whole lot of trouble. But first, she would have to finish the dare, as promised.

"I can't wait," chimed Makoto eagerly with a wicked grin. Picking up a large paper bag from besides her bed, she tossed it to Tsubaki. "This one's an extra, so don't worry about hygiene. Go, go, go, Tsubaki!"

Trying her hardest not to think about it, Tsubaki caught the uniform in her hands and strode off the bed, hesitating as she reached the bathroom. She turned her head slightly to see her friends, both of whom were giggling away. Irritated, Tsubaki flicked on the lights and shut the door behind her, instantly cuing more laughter. Once inside, though, Tsubaki dropped her facade of anger and instead sighed sheepishly. She truly loved them, both of her precious friends, as the sisters that she had never had. Even though Noel was immensely shy and Makoto a sly devil who easily made her do ridiculous things like this, they were still her best friends, and always would be.

Now, onto the dare. Tsubaki reached into the bag and withdrew a normal school uniform top, its sleek blue and white surface still unworn. Without a second thought, Tsubaki pulled off her pajamas and slipped on the shirt. She adjusted the sleeves carefully, rolling them up to a neat length, and then, taking in a sharp breath, stuck her hand back into the bag.

She removed the only article of clothing left in the bag with a wince. Staring at the terribly short gray skirt, Tsubaki shuddered, closed her eyes, and tried to change without thinking. As soon as she had gotten it on, she anxiously opened her eyes once more and glanced down.

It was terrifying. The skirt was shorter than even her mid-thighs, and she was used to her long one reaching her feet! A cool breeze wafted in from the open window, and Tsubaki shivered. Not only was the skirt overly revealing, embarrassing, and inconvenient, but it was plenty cold as well! How on earth were Makoto and Noel used to wearing these awful things?

Well, she had to confront them now. Tsubaki flinched again at the thought of it, then examined herself through the mirror. Ugh, it looked downright horrid on her, with the sides too poofy and the skirt way, _way _too low. This was the last time she was _ever _wearing such a low skirt again, if she could help it. And just to be sure, this was also the last time she would ever be accepting a dare from Makoto. Who knew that she was such a demon on the inside?

Smoothing the skirt down one last time, Tsubaki took a deep breath, closed the lights, and turned the doorknob before stepping out. Gasps and shrieks of delight- how was that even possible?- instantly rang out, and before she knew it Tsubaki was knocked backwards by a hysterical Makoto and a bright-eyed Noel.

"Beautiful!" exclaimed Makoto, grabbing Tsubaki and forcing her to stand upright. She tilted her head repeatedly, studying her friend from different angles. "This skirt was made for you, Tsubaki!"

"Wh-What?" spluttered Tsubaki, twitching in disbelief. Had she heard wrong, or had her friends gone insane? "C-Can I take it off yet?"

"Already?" Noel stared up at Tsubaki pleadingly, hardly able to rip her eyes away from the skirt on her friend's body. "But you look so nice in it!"

Tsubaki blushed. Despite her complete embarrassment over wearing the short skirt, she was almost held in place by her friend's incessant compliments, and almost gave in to a silent submission. But then she remembered that it was her turn, and that this was nothing more than a silly little dare.

"I-I'm going to take it off now," she asserted firmly. "Makoto, when I come back, truth or dare?"

Makoto smirked. "I'll make sure you wear it again, just you wait. And...eh...dare. Truth is for sissies!"

While changing into her preferable pajamas, Tsubaki hardly had to contemplate before deciding what her dare would be. She came out in a suspiciously good mood, and Makoto scrutinized her cautiously before cocking her head to the side and shrugging lightly.

"What's it gonna be, Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki smiled radiantly. "Makoto," she announced, in the tone of one pure triumph, "I dare you to clean our room until every bit of it is sparkling clean."

Makoto's eyes widened, her expression of pure horror almost comical. The way she appeared was almost as if Tsubaki had told her to jump off the tallest peak of the city. Besides her, Noel giggled cheerfully, and exchanging a look of victory with Tsubaki.

"Y-You're kidding," stammered Makoto, almost speechless for once. "Tsubaki, that's not fair at all!"

Tsubaki simply smiled angelically. "You said anything goes. So off you go, Makoto. Don't worry; Noel and I will help you if you want."

Makoto groaned before dragging her tail over to where the broom sat in the corner of the room, untouched by the beastkin for as long as she could remember. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Nevertheless, Makoto fulfilled her part of the dare (though not without torrents of complaints). Within the three minutes, her complaints and groans of boredom were enough to send poor Tsubaki and Noel over the edge, much less forcing them to help her. Luckily, with their help, Makoto was able to clean up their entire dorm room in less than half an hour, leaving more than enough time to play on- much to Noel's fear.

She was right to fear the continuation of the game. Makoto's next victim was her once more, and whether out of anxiety or bad memory, or the fact that Noel just simply did not get it, she happened to pick "dare" once more. This time, however, Noel was guaranteed to be scarred for life. Makoto just so happened to nonchalantly amble over to Noel's desk, pick a piece of binder paper at random, and innocently place the paper in Noel's lap.

"Well, Noel," Makoto cheerily chirped. "I dare you to read me this poem!"

It was strange. Somehow, Noel had no recollection of reading the poem whatsoever, just an overwhelming burden of incoming nervousness and fear as she stared at her friends' anticipating faces. She even remembered opening her mouth for some reason, squeezing her eyes shut, and squeaking to herself that there was no way anyone could actually _die _of embarrassment. It never came to poor Noel's mind that perhaps she had blacked out while in the midst of reading, or possibly the poem had been so shocking and poorly written that her friends had not had the courage to have her continue. Either way, they never mentioned it again, and Noel, far too oblivious, never figured out why. What had truly happened when she had read it had never resurfaced in her mind either.

"It's my turn to ask, r-right?" She was still shaken from completely blanking out. Makoto and Tsubaki both gave encouraging nods, and Noel bit her lip in thought. "Um, okay. Um, Tsubaki!"

Hence followed a period of silence. "Yes, Noel?"

"T-Truth or d-dare, Tsubaki?" Noel seemed terrified about both options, despite the fact that it wasn't she who was about to be put on the spot.

"Well," said Tsubaki contemplatively, "None of us have done 'truth' yet, have we? So I think I'll go ahead with truth."

"Okay." Another long, awkward silence followed as Noel squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to think hard of an interesting dare. "Um...Um...Oh, I know!" She glanced questioningly at Makoto. "Um, I just ask the question, right?" A reassuring nod. "Okay! Tsubaki, so why do you hate pandas so much?"

Tsubaki's face tightened considerably, and for a moment her normally kind and dignified face turned dark with thought. She muttered something hardly audible under her breath about "evil of the world," "villains behind the pretentious faces," and "world domination". Although it didn't answer the question at all, Noel, having no specific objectives, nodded her head in pretend understanding and allowed the answer to pass. Tsubaki's passionate hatred towards the cute pandas was, she supposed, forever destined to remain one of the greatest mysteries in their world.

As soon as she was waved on by an impatient and anticipating Makoto, Tsubaki brightened up completely, acting as though she had never even been asked about pandas. "So Makoto, what will it be this time?"

"Here we go again! Bring it on!" Makoto shouted so loudly that Noel, trying her best not to flinch, was sure that she heard the girls next door curse angrily in their sleep. It was nine o' clock now, and for whatever reason some of the girls from prominent families really needed their "beauty sleep".

"Alright, dare it is..." Tsubaki sighed; she was seriously running low on ideas now. "I dare you to let me cuddle your tail, Makoto."

"That's an easy dare." Makoto smirked and sat down on Tsubaki's bed beside her friend before feigning a sigh. "Go ahead, go ahead. Meanwhile I will think of something good to truth, since both of you two are too _cowardly _to accept any more fun dares. Hmm..."

"Don't even think that we're going to fall for that taunt, Makoto." Tsubaki's voice was muffled as she busily cuddled her friend's tail.

Makoto grinned. "You catch me every time, don't you, Tsubaki?" She glanced once at Noel, then back at Tsubaki, a dangerous spark beginning to glint in her big beastkin eyes. "You know, there's something that we've majorly missed out on this whole evening..."

"What's that, Makoto?" Noel spoke up eagerly from the side, her eyes gleaming as she watched Tsubaki giggle as she fluffed up the squirrel's tail.

Beginning to chuckle sadistically under her breath, Makoto could hold it in no longer. "Ahaha, wouldn't you two die to know?" Then, seeing the hardly-withheld curiosity on her friends' faces, she smirked and dramatically waved her arms in the air. "We haven't talked about romance yet! How could I have missed it? I mean, it's the number one thing to truth about, you know..."

Neither Noel or Tsubaki seemed entirely pleased, or even excited, by Makoto's idea, but the squirrel beastkin was far too ecstatic to notice. Instead, she ignored them entirely, voicing out loud fragments of disturbing thoughts.

"I really should...Noel's crush...Oh, that would be _so _fun. But maybe not...No, Noel is...Maybe Tsubaki instead. Tsubaki...Hm... Tsubaki..."

Noel, looking absolutely frightened past her wits, had curled up on the far corner of her bed, hoping to not be targeted. Luckily for her, there was now a new look in Makoto's devious eyes as she studied Tsubaki, smirking away.

"You know, Tsubaki, I think it's time we had a nice little chat about boys. So, even though I already know your answer, truth or dare?"

Tsubaki, convinced that whatever Makoto had to say would not bother her in the slightest, held her hands up in yielding agreement. "Truth, of course."

"Alright then." Makoto melodramatically sucked in a deep breath, then grinned away. "Boy, now that it's time to say this, I feel pretty bad. But eh, oh well. A truth's a truth, right?"

Despite her initial thoughts, Tsubaki had to admit that the suspense was getting to her. "Just get on with it, Makoto," she groaned.

"If you say so. So, Tsubaki, who's your current crush?"

Tsubaki blushed, much to her own annoyance. Although she really didn't want to, she found herself honestly thinking about it. She really didn't need to ponder it, however; there was, and only had ever been, one person who she had really "had a crush" on. Tsubaki fervently hoped that Makoto, her eyes wider than ever, could not see through her, and could certainly not see her thoughts going to _him_...

Makoto pretended to sigh. "Since you're not speaking up, I'll make this easier for you. Tsubaki, you have a crush on Jin, right?"

"N-No!" Before Tsubaki could even curse herself for being so transparent, before she could even think out a logical way to play it off, she found that she had already attempted to deny it. Her face turned scarlet, and she clamped her mouth shut before she could give it away any further.

"I knew it!" crowed Makoto. "I knew you liked him!"

"M-Makoto..." Noel sheepishly cut in from the side. "Tsubaki didn't say 'yes'..."

"Of course she didn't!" Makoto animatedly yelled. "But her answer gave it away anyway, didn't it? I mean, Tsubaki, you're blushing! You and Jin will be such a cute couple! I'm sure he likes you back, too! Right, Noel?"

Noel couldn't help but giggle nervously at the idea. "Yep!"

Tsubaki, however, was caught between her friends' excitement and her own embarrassment. And _Jin_! How would he act if he knew how she felt?

One thing was a priority over everything else here- keeping her friends' mouths shut, especially Makoto's. "Makoto, Noel you have to promise me something. Y-You can't tell other people, okay? Especially not Jin."

"Okay, okay," sang Makoto, far too triumphant to care about anything else. A clever thought occurred to her instantly. "Hey, doesn't that mean you're admitting that you like Jin?"

"Of course not," snapped Tsubaki, reverting back to her old dignified self and ending the topic entirely. "It's my turn now, isn't it? Makoto, truth or dare?" She knew, already, what Makoto would pick, and that was perfect for her next plan.

"Eh, me again?" Makoto sighed. "Tsubaki, your dares can be scary, but since courageous people like me always go with dare, go right ahead."

Tsubaki exhaled a sigh of relief. Her plan had worked perfectly. "Makoto, I dare both you and Noel to go to bed. It's now ten."

"...Tsubaki, you're no fun at all."

Makoto's whines and complains about Tsubaki's "abuse of dares" could be heard throughout the female dormitory, but a dare was a dare. All three of the girls were in bed shortly after, and two of them, including the hesitant Makoto, were asleep in seconds. Noel could be seen snuggling against her precious panda pillow as she slept away, muttering things about poems and tails.

But Tsubaki? Tsubaki found that, despite her being the one who insisted that they slept, she could hardly close her eyes for a moment before her thoughts flooded and overtook her. Most of them were centered, inevitably, on Jin.

Jin...How did he feel about her? He had so many admirers, so many girls who would trade their lives, even, to have a chance by his side. But how about her? Was she special to him, being the privileged one to know him so well, from such a young age? Or was she just a friend, just a little sister?

Often Tsubaki had wondered what would have happened if she admitted her feelings for him, if she had went up to Jin and confessed. But every time she realized that such a thing was not possible for them, that, each time she envisioned herself standing before him and saying those three special words, she found that it was not the real Tsubaki Yayoi who was the one doing such a thing. She just couldn't, probably never would, admit it.

And it wasn't just that she couldn't pull together the nerve to confess. What if Jin did not return her feelings? She couldn't possibly risk their friendship, his warmth, which she depended on so much, just so she could tell him how she truly felt. Even if he felt the same, which was nearly impossible, having that risk was not worth it. If she did it, they would never be able to go back to the way they were now, so close and so unsuspecting- so innocent.

She thought of Makoto's words, and they came ringing back to her, almost haunting in their tone of playfulness.

"I'm sure he likes you back, too!"

There were a lot of things Makoto were "sure" on, and Tsubaki prayed that this was one of the few that she was actually right about.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

I've decided to move the Author Notes back here instead so that readers could jump straight into the story :)

First off, thanks so much for the encouraging reviews for the previous chapter! Each one truly made my day just by looking at it, and I hope that my fic will continue to absorb your interest in the future!

Also, I have noticed that my summary of the story is not particularly interesting or attention-grabbing. If anyone has any better ideas, please PM me or leave me review. I would be extremely grateful for such help.

About the story itself, this chapter was (hopefully) more on the comical, humorous side. Apologies for not having made any action between Jin and Tsubaki just yet, and I assure you that there will definitely be more "fluffy" moments in the next chapter. Also, in case anyone was wondering, the title of the story comes from Jin's theme, Lust Sin, only with the Lust replaced with his love for Tsubaki. It's supposed to represent Jin's idea that loving Tsubaki would be a sin, due to their promise.

Once again, thanks for reading, and here comes the preview for the next chapter!

**Preview: **

Next is Chapter 3: "Fairy Tale," in which Tsubaki and Jin share an intimate moment together that nearly forces both to their breaking points.


	3. Chapter 3: Fairy Tale

**A/N:**

Hey guys, welcome to the third chapter! Sorry for the long wait, but with school starting and all, I'm afraid that slower updates will become more frequent. However, that doesn't mean that you can't drop me a note or review telling me to hurry it up! Those actually inspire me to make faster updates and are highly appreciated :)

One of the things that drove me crazy in this chapter was whether student council ought to be capitalized or not. I'm a total grammar Nazi, so these types of things make my life miserable. In the end, I decided to leave it without capitalization, but if that's wrong, be sure to correct me!_  
><em>

Also, if you've been skipping the author notes up to this point, I would like to stress that the next few notes on here are **very important**. I have a couple of questions for you all and deeply need feedback. Here at the two questions, of which the latter is of the utmost importance! Please make sure to PM me your suggestion/ opinion or submit it in a review. Thanks in advance!

**1. What types of stands/ attractions should be featured in the next chapter, the start of the Spring Festival? Feel free to give me many examples!**

**2. I have planned out two pathways that this fic can go. Either I will go quicker to the ending, or I will incorporate an OC into the story. Before you wince away in disgust at the sight of that word (I know, I personally detest OCs in a fanfic), allow me to explain myself. Without giving away too many spoilers, this OC will be a "competitor" with Jin for Tsubaki's attention and will further elevate the conflict between them. I do not plan on giving much attention to the OC, other than just the amount needed to establish his connections to Tsubaki. Obviously, I prefer to do this and enhance my story, but since I'm not fond of OCs, I want to know what you guys would prefer! **

Don't forget to come back to this section and send me a message/ review after reading the chapter! Thanks in advance for all the help, guys!Also: this chapter features Carl's debut, so enjoy :D

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 3: Fairy Tale<strong>_

With the Annual Academy Spring Festival less than a week away, the student council was now officially scrambling to complete the preparations. Although the past few meetings mainly composed of less-than-dignified arguments over booths, decorations, and even refreshments, Jin had somehow managed to get the group back on task. Now, with the booths decided to be a combination of food stands, games, and entertainment, they were now ready for the actual setting-up.

Since too many of the teenagers were bound to squabble over who was to be paired with who for their decorations assignment, Jin decided to have them pull lots. He could tell a lot of the girls were disappointed-with thirty members making up the student council, their chances of getting him as a partner were quite slim. Jin didn't really care who he got as a partner, as long as they weren't some pesky girl who would rather stand there and goggle over him than work. Though since there were so many girls in the class, he was probably going to end up with one of them anyways. It was an irritating thought.

Equipped with a clipboard, pen, and box stuffed with names, Jin rapped the desk for attention. "The casting of partners for decoration projects will begin now!" The last of the chatter died away instantly, with the girls all too busy staring at him to talk anymore. "First off, decorating the hallways..." Jin reached in the box and deftly plucked out two folded pieces of paper. "Suzuki and Hannah!"

Two girls, both groaning and looking disappointed, dragged themselves out of their seats. They both attempted sickly sweet smiles at him before turning to argue over who was to carry the heavy boxes of decorations down to the hallway. Jin sighed in exasperation before deciding that it was better to ignore them and continue on. Giving them attention would only encourage their behavior.

Slowly, one by one, he pulled out the lots, calling names and designating jobs. Luckily, most of the other girls seemed rather agreeable and did not fuss. Jin was beginning to wonder if a jealous girl had rigged the box and removed his name from it. More than half the class were gone- six people left, by a quick headcount- and he _still _hadn't pulled his own name yet.

Next piece of paper to unfold... "Tsubaki," Jin announced, trying his best to stay expressionless. Tsubaki, huh? Well, with the luck he had, he doubted he would be paired with her. "And..." He stopped suddenly, feeling his cheeks flush. Jin cursed inwardly, watching as all heads swiveled up at his unusual pause.

"And me," he added lamely. "We'll be working on decorating the cafeteria."

* * *

><p>"I can't...see."<p>

Just as Jin happened to be drawing his own name out of the box, Makoto Nanaya and a hesitant Noel were kneeling behind a particularly large bush. The former held a pair of binoculars to her eyes, frowning in concentration. With the bush blocking her direct view of the classroom's window, she gave an impatient sigh and tossed the binoculars to Noel.

"Can you see anything?" Makoto gave an annoyed pout. "Geez, and after I took the effort of ditching class and rigging that box, too."

Noel, nearly dropping the binoculars in surprise, jolted up. "What? Makoto, you never told me you rigged that box for picking partners! I thought we were just going to watch a special surprise for Jin and Tsubaki..."

"It _is _a special surprise, silly," muttered Makoto. Having taken back the binoculars, she now fiddled away with the zooming options. "A very good one, at that. Didn't you agree that we have to just _somehow _get Jin and Tsubaki together? Well, this is the best way! And don't worry, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Noel stammered. A sudden thought came to her. "I should never have skipped class, Makoto! We're going to be in so much trouble!"

"You worry too much." The squirrel beastkin waved her hand reassuringly, then dropped her voice so that even Noel couldn't hear her words. "Believe me, the trouble we'll get in for my little set-up back at the cafeteria will be much, much worse."

Noel, now sitting silently in a state of complete gloom, cocked her ears. "What did you say, Makoto? I couldn't really hear you."

"Oh, nothing," Makoto cheerily replied. "Oh look! I think Jin announced it, Noel! Look at those dropped jaws, those stunned faces on all those jealous girls." She scowled suddenly, overtaken by her fierce loyalty to her friend. "They think _the _Jin Kisaragi belongs with them? Disgusting. Wiping those pretentious smiles off their faces would be a good enough reward for getting Jin with Tsubaki, but luckily for us, Tsubaki's happiness is even better."

Noel stifled a giggle. "Maybe you were right. Maybe this _is _worth it. Look at Tsubaki's face, Makoto!"

"Oh, Tsubaki." Smirking now, Makoto readjusted her binoculars. "She's even prettier when she blushes, look at that! I told you that I'm always right." She stood up suddenly now, brushing leaves off her perilously short skirt. "Let's go, Noel. We have to hurry!"

"Huh? Where are we going?" Noel stretched and yawned, her eyes still glued on the scene unfolding in the classroom.

Makoto dragged a protesting Noel to her feet. "The cafeteria, of course. You'll see when you get there."

* * *

><p>"J-Jin." After the game yesterday, Tsubaki found it extremely hard, if not impossible, to keep a straight face while looking at Jin. It was foolish of her, she knew, especially since they were just friends.<p>

"What's wrong, Tsubaki?" Jin had slung a ladder over one shoulder and carried the box of decorations with his other arm. On the other hand, Tsubaki had absolutely nothing to carry. Some of the remaining girls who had remained had called him a "perfect gentleman," and Tsubaki found that she agreed to it. Still, with the two of them walking side-by-side like this, she felt both awkward and guilty. It was almost as if they were...a couple.

Tsubaki pinched her arm in a spot that Jin would not be able to notice, even with his emerald gaze on her. "Do you want me to take something?" she managed. "I mean, it looks really heavy."

"It's fine," Jin said reassuringly. "We're just about there anyway."

It was true. The cafeteria was hardly half a minute's walk away from the student council room. Already, a familiar, mouth-watering scent wafted out from the open doorway. Glancing once at the size of the door and then back at the ladder, Tsubaki could tell already that it would be difficult getting it through, especially since the cardboard box of materials would be blocking his sight.

Without really thinking, Tsubaki reached out, taking his arm in her hand and guiding him through the open doorway. The ladder narrowly passed through, being centimeters away from brushing onto the top of the door-frame. Once they were through, Tsubaki breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize that her hand was still clutched against Jin's left arm.

The fact that she had been touching him was intimidating and dreamy at the same time. Tsubaki let go at once, embarrassed at herself and hoping that he hadn't noticed. Jin's arm had been warm and strong, and she had rather enjoyed herself there, liked his touch, wanted to put her hand against his... But that thought was both stupid and perplexing. Feeling ashamed, Tsubaki told herself that it was nothing. They had held hands in the past, as two innocent children. Why couldn't she act like back then? What had changed in their relationship- no, in _her- _to make her feel this way?

Jin hadn't appeared to really noticed, but then again, Tsubaki doubted he would react as foolishly as she had. While she had been lost in exasperation, Jin had been busy setting up the stepladder near the outer door-frame.

"For the places that are harder to reach," he explained, smiling as though nothing had happened. "Why don't we get the easier places first? We need to hang up the posters."

"Right." She would prove her worth, Tsubaki decided. By throwing herself into her work, she would be able to calm down and hopefully regain all her common sense and composure. "I'll get the right side of the cafeteria."

Jin nodded, tossing her a roll of tape and a stack of colorful posters. "I'll do the left, then."

They worked away, and as she concentrated on taping the posters, Tsubaki found that she was able to calm down quite a bit. She opened up as though her feelings towards Jin had never changed, as though he was once again the big brother she admired so much. While taping, Tsubaki told Jin about all the new things that were happening in her classes, anything juicy or particularly exciting she could remember. Most of her stories, it turned out, involved a certain mischievous squirrel beast-kin and her hesitant shy sidekick. She even asked him for a piece of advice or two relating to her studies. But she never dared mention the subject of romance, as much as she would have liked to know what Jin truly thought of other girls.

"Done with the posters," Tsubaki announced cheerfully. She knelt down besides the box, digging up the rest of the supplies and then putting them down on the floor carefully. One group of item, the golden-colored paper lanterns, caught her attention. "Oh, these look like they needs to be hung from the ceiling!"

Seeing that Jin wasn't done yet, Tsubaki heaved herself carefully onto the stepladder. Thank god she wasn't wearing that ridiculously-short skirt that most of the other girls preferred. Her cheeks reddened with the embarrassing thought, then darkened even further at the thought of Jin seeing her in a short skirt, while on a ladder. Almost unconsciously, Tsubaki tugged at her long dress in agitation.

"Be careful," called Jin from below, surprising Tsubaki so much that she nearly lost her footing. "Whoa. Focus, Tsubaki." He seemed more amused than mad. "If you fall, I'm not sure if even I can catch you."

"D-Don't worry," stammered Tsubaki, still slightly shaken. The cafeteria's ceiling was so tall, and from up on the ladder even the short distance looked like a lot. "I'm alright."

Concentrating now, Tsubaki leaned forward, hooking the first paper lantern onto the studs hanging out from the rooftop. Having gotten it on successfully, she blew out her sucked-in breath and relaxed a bit before moving on to the next one. Underneath her, Jin supported the ladder, purposefully not looking directly up with an air of casualness.

"Second one now." She hung it on without any difficulties, and was instantly relieved. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she had thought.

Jin squinted up at the ceiling. "They look nice. You got them arranged in a straight line." He paused, noticing that Tsubaki's arms could hardly reach the next hook. "Hey, do you want me to do that?"

"I'm fine," gritted out Tsubaki, reaching out with all her might. "Almost...there."

Meanwhile, hidden behind the counter this time, Makoto and Noel peeked out, a large box of frozen food blocking them from being seen by the two they were intent on spying on.

"All going by plan," chuckled Makoto, looking beyond herself in excitement and glee. Next to her, Noel watched sheepishly, not sure what to do. "Just an inch closer...come on..."

"You never told me what you were planning," Noel whispered, remembering.

But the squirrel girl waved her hand impatiently. "Hold on," she hissed. "It's almost time. Just watch, 'kay?" Her head swiveled forward again, her eyes widening. "It's time!"

"Huh?" was all Noel could manage before Makoto sprang up, her tail all bushy from anticipation, and threw a large frozen meal, as hard as her lithe beastkin arms could, against the ladder. Her aim was perfect. Makoto watched with her enhanced senses, hardly daring to move, as the ladder began to collapse to the side in slow-motion.

"Sorry, Tsubaki, but it had to be done," she muttered under her breath.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what was happening. One moment she was busy trying to reach up and hang the lantern onto that last hook, and the next she found herself toppling sideways, feeling her whole grip on reality tilt in massive tremors. It then occurred to her that she must have lost balance somehow, and the truth came crashing down on her.

She was falling!

Letting loose a helpless muffled scream, Tsubaki could only squeeze her eyes shut and hope for the best as she plummeted. In the mere seconds that she was suspended in mid-air, she managed to wrap her arms around her head protectively. How could this be happening?

It was over in seconds. She had expected a horrifying pain and a loud crash, perhaps even scarlet vision and a bone-shattering collision. But none of it came. Instead, she felt something soft underneath her, something that had acted as a cushion in her fall. Was she safe...?

Tsubaki tentatively opened one eye, then snapped both open in alarm. It couldn't be!

Underneath her, groaning slightly and looking rather disoriented, was Jin. His glasses had been knocked off to the side, but other than that he appeared unscathed. Only then did Tsubaki realize how close they were, that she was entirely _on top _of him! But that wasn't the most shocking thing. Still lost in a trance, Tsubaki watched as Jin's eyes snap back to focus as hers must have done. Both of them noticed their situation at the exact same time.

They were in the most intimate position possible. Tsubaki's hands were both positioned on his chest, one squeezing his shirt tightly and the other completely stretched out across it. Their bodies were both spread out on the floor, Tsubaki's on top. Jin was on his back, and he glanced up, completely stunned. Sapphire and emerald gazes met, and only then did both realize how close their faces were, that they could taste the nervous lingering breaths of the other person. If either Jin lifted his head up any further or Tsubaki leaned down just a bit more, they would have been in the position of the impossible, forbidden kiss.

For a moment, the rest of the world was forgotten, and it was just the two of them, so close to the intimacy they both coveted. Their gaze held, and both of them felt the urge to just lean forward and seal up their fate, to let go of the vow that chained them back and have no regrets.

Tsubaki's face flamed as she took in Jin's perfectly smooth features and how close they truly were to revealing their inner feelings. She then thought of herself, wondering how she would look in comparison. Was she pretty in his eyes? Did he feel the same way she did? Or was he just surprised by it all, just caught up in the moment...?

The spell broke. Tsubaki, gasping, tore her eyes away and jerked up instantly, giving a soft cry as she hurtled away from Jin. For some reason, she felt as though some part of her had been damaged, as though she were bleeding from the inside and slowly dying.

_She had no chance with him. _

She felt her feet move in the direction of the exit as she ran, ran, ran...

_She was so stupid to think that he felt the same. _

Reason unknown, tears formed in her eyes and the clutches of misery consumed her as Tsubaki fled from the cafeteria, disappearing behind the bend of the door.

_She had lost it, lost her only chance, lost that typical romance novel moment in which she could have changed everything. In the stories, the heroines always did the right thing, and the man they loved always shared their feelings. _

_ But she was no heroine, and her life was no romantic fairy tale. _

* * *

><p>Behind in the cafeteria, Jin's senses slowly returned and his mouth moved, voicing out loud the only word he could manage. "Tsubaki..." he numbly said.<p>

What had happened? The memories smashed back, each one piercing open a new wound in his heart. They had been close, so close, to something that he had desired beyond knowledge. He had wanted that chance to hold her tight and tell her how he felt, hadn't he? But it had passed before he had noticed that it was there, and had lost it before he could even truly think.

Groaning softly, Jin managed to struggle up. In his mind, there was a strange blankness, an idleness of thought as his brain repeated that vision over and over again. All he could see was Tsubaki jerking away from him and sprinting out the corridor.

Shaking his head, he told himself that he had been right all along- that Tsubaki had no feelings for him whatsoever. She must have been upset, put in such an intimate position like this with him, the only male that she loved as a brother.

But the images in Jin's mind would not stop, and over and over again, in the never-ending cycle of agony, he replayed himself catching Tsubaki, and their shared moment of closeness. Her sharp blue eyes, her scarlet hair, her warm hands...He would never get another experience like that, would he?

Jin, too, staggered out of the cafeteria, almost intoxicated by his memories. But like Tsubaki, he was so caught up in the whole shared moment of near-romance that his logic completely failed him.

Neither of them found the sense to ask themselves who had really caused the ladder to fall.

Still squatting underneath the counter, Noel gave a final breath of relief as Jin vanished out the door and popped out to join Makoto. "That was a close one, Makoto!" she exasperatedly scolded her friend. "What were you thinking? That would have been dangerous for Tsubaki, if Jin hadn't caught her!"

Makoto stood still, still perched behind a cardboard box, and now swiveled over so that Noel could see the expression on her face. There was no longer any light-hearted humor. Seriousness and a mixed emotion that Noel could not read flickered across her friend's face, and Makoto let out a sigh. Completely ignoring Noel's words, she evaluated the mission with a frown.

"We almost got it, Noel. At first it was getting really sweet, but I figure something going's to be damaged after this. We were so close!" A glimmer of determination formed in her eyes, and she punched the air with her fist. "Come on, we're going to have to try even harder after this."

"Poor Tsubaki," Noel softly murmured, recalling the expression on her friend's face as she had fled from the room. "Makoto, I don't think you should have done this. Now she and Jin..." She shook her head lightly, the expression on her face turning to worry. "We have to fix this somehow."

"I will, I will." Exuberant at the thought of fixing it all up by matchmaking, Makoto cheerfully grinned at her friend before standing up entirely and dusting off her skirt. "Let's go, Noel. We can still make it to fourth period if we hurry."

"F-Fourth period?" squeaked Noel, looking stricken. "Oh no! I forgot that we were skipping class! What if someone finds out that we were here and made the ladder fall? Makoto, hurry!"

Makoto gave a mock sigh. "Sheesh, Noel, you're such a worry-wart. No one's ever going to find out that we s-"

"Find out what?"

Both girls whirled around instantly, hearts nearly thudding to a stop. They had been found it! But behind them, looking innocently confused and carrying a box of utensils in his small arms, was the rumored prodigy Carl Clover himself.

"C-Carl!" stammered Noel, trying her best- and failing terribly- to get a hold on herself. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

Carl glanced at her in confusion, pushing up his glasses. "I finished with my studies earlier, so the professor told me to help out in the cafeteria. Are you two here to help too?"

"Nah," Makoto brightly said, her eyes lighting up as she contemplated cuddling Carl. "We're here for...no reason."

"Shouldn't you two...be in class?" Genuinely confused now, Carl glanced at both of them for an answer.

Both noticing their fatal error, Makoto and Noel exchanged guilty looks before hastily getting to their feet. "Nice talking to you, Carlie. We-er- gotta go!"

Sprinting away as fast as they could go, the two self-proclaimed matchmakers rushed out of the cafeteria as well, leaving behind an utterly bemused Carl. Noticing the toppled ladder on the floor, he set the box of utensils down and knelt down to examine it. Slightly wondering what had happened, he propped the ladder back up, snatching up from underneath it a crushed paper lantern.

"I wonder..."

* * *

><p><strong>Preview: <strong>

Next up is Chapter 4: "Operation LOVE!" Prepare to see trouble from some jealous girls during the start of the Spring Festival itself, as well as Makoto and Noel going back to their sneaky plans!


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